Reserve Your LLC Business Name in California
1 Business Day Service
SunDoc Filings is able to perform a LLC name search with the California Secretary of State's office. If a Limited Liability Company's (LLC) name is available, we are able to reserve the name. All name availability searches are considered preliminary and are conducted by California Secretary of State's LLC name search unit. In most cases, we can check the LLC name availability and/or reserve a name within 1 business day.
- Choose an LLC name*** Decide on your first, second and third LLC name choices. You are not required to provide a second or third LLC name choice, however, if your first choice is already taken by another LLC or the first name choice is considered by the California Secretary of State name reservation unit as "deceptively similar to an existing LLC" then the California Secretary of State will not allow the use of the name. Secondly, we charge a service fee per order. If you only provide us with one LLC name choice and it is not available, you will be charged another name availability service fee for the second order.
- Complete the California LLC name reservation online order form.
NOTE: The most common names include initials such as ABC LLC or MLD LLC. Changing the ending (LLC, L.L.C., Limited Liability Company), adding punctuation or making the name plural will not make your name different. The Secretary of State considers ABC LLC, ABC, LLC, A&BC LLC, A-B-C LLC to be the exact same name. If after the reservation period you are still not ready to form an entity, the name can be reserved again but not until after the reservation expires.
Form a California limited liability company (LLC)
When you are ready, go to our California LLC formation page to form your LLC. We offer routine and 24 hour rush services.
State and Service Fees
To check LLC name availability and/or reserve an LLC name, our fee is $39 per entity, per order. Our fee includes checking up to three name choices per order, per entity. If the 1st name choice is available, the remaining names will not be researched.
Secretary of State Fees:
Name Availability and Reservation Fee is $17.00.
Once we check name availability or reserve the LLC name, we can file your Articles of Organization with the California Secretary of State on an expedited basis.
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for more information.
California Limited Liability Company Name Reservation Guidelines
The following is general information about name availability and name style requirements relating to limited liability companies.
***NOTE: The reservation of a name does not guarantee the name meets all federal and state requirements related to a specific entity type. Names are reviewed for compliance at the time documents are submitted to the California Secretary of State's office for filing.
SunDoc Advantages
SunDoc's California filings provide the best value: fast and economical.
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Great Service Since 1999
With over 1,000 5-star reviews on Truspilot, you can be confident in working with us.
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Same day processing
Only if received by 2 p.m. PST. Most companies mail in your requests delaying results.
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Experience
Since 1999. Over 100,000 filings. Located in Sacramento.
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Skilled Customer Service
Our skilled customer service staff is always ready to help.
California LLC Name Guidelines and Tips
- Proposed limited liability company names are checked only against currently reserved limited liability company names and active limited liability companies of record in the California Secretary of State's office. Since there is no legal requirement that limited liability company names be checked against other business entity names, limited liability company names are not checked against general partnership, limited partnership, limited liability partnership or corporate names, nor are names checked against trademarks, service marks or local fictitious business names filed at the county level.
- The Secretary of State's office cannot file a document which contains a name that is "likely to mislead the public or which is the same as, or resembles so closely as to tend to deceive," the name of a domestic or foreign (out-of-state or country) limited liability company that has registered with this office or a name which is under reservation for another limited liability company. California Corporations Code section 17701.08.
- A limited liability company may adopt a name that is similar to, but not the same as, the name of an existing domestic or foreign (out of state or country) limited liability company if the existing limited liability company consents in writing to the use of the name and the Secretary of State's office finds that under the circumstances the public is not likely to be misled. The consent letter should be submitted on the letterhead of the consenting limited liability company, signed by an authorized officer of that company. If a proposed name is reserved utilizing consent, a currently dated consent must accompany each renewal request.
- The limited liability company name may not falsely imply governmental affiliation.
- All names must use the English alphabet or Arabic numerals (0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9) or a combination thereof. Roman numerals are treated as letters and not translated into their numeric equivalent. Symbols are not allowed in an entity name, except an ampersand (&) may be used in an entity name as a conjunction in place of the word "AND".
- There is no distinction between upper and lower case letters, typeface or font.
- The name of a limited liability company cannot include the words "bank," "trust," "trustee," "incorporated," "inc.," "corporation," or "corp.". California Corporations Code section 17701.08(e).
- The name of a limited liability company cannot include the words "insurer" or "insurance company" or any words suggesting that it is in the business of issuing policies of insurance and assuming insurance risks. California Corporations Code section 17701.08(e).
- The name of a limited liability company must end with the words "Limited Liability Company", "Ltd. Liability Co." or the abbreviation "LLC" or "L.L.C." California Corporations Code section 17701.08(a).
- Fictitious business names filed with the county cannot include word(s) indicating corporate or limited liability company status unless organized as such pursuant to the laws of the State of California. Business and Professions Code section 17910.5.